Vehicle accelerated traffic signal



Feb. 6, 1934. c. H. BISSELL VEHICLE ACCELERATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed June 25, 1930 ,M// VXM ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 6, 1934 1,946,435 VEHICLE ACCELERATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL Carl H. Bissell, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Grouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a. cor- I poration of New York Application June 25, 1930. Serial No. 463,782 3 Claims. (Cl. 177-337) This invention relates to traffic signals and particularly to traific signals of the vehicle actuated type in which a right of way indication is normally displayed to a main traveled highway and vehicles on a cross street operate means to shift the right of way indication to the cross street for a period of time after which it returns to the main traveled highway.

With trailic signalling devices of this kind in m the past, it has been common practice to transfer the right of way indication to the cross street for a period of time sufi'iciently long to permit the slowest moving vehicle to cross with safety. With such an arrangement considerable time is 16 lost after the passing of a faster moving vehicle before the right of way indication is restored to the highway.

In certain other traiiic signalling devices, two vehicle actuated means are used, one of which 20 transfers the right of way indication to the cross street, and the other of which controls operating mechanism for restoring the right of way indication to the main highway. This is a conventional practice in'certain railroadinstallations,

but is objectionable when applied to street traffic in that a vehicle which crosses the first vehicle actuated means may park, or turn into a driveway and never cross the second vehicle actuated means. Such a situation is highly undesirable in that the right of way indication will remain on the cross street, and the main highway traffic will be blocked, unnecessarily, until another cross street vehicle actuates the second vehicle actuated means.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a traffic signalling device in which a vehicle actuated means will transfer the right of way indication from a highway to a cross street, and after the lapse of a period of time retransfer 40 the right of way indication to the highway. A

further object of the invention is to provide vehicle actuated means which will, upon a first actuation by a vehicle, transfer a right of way indication from a highwayto a cross street for a predetermined period of time; and which will,

upon a subsequent actuation by the vehicle, retransfer the right of way indication from the cross street to the highway before the lapse of the predetermined period of time determined by the first actuation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle actuated means which will cause a right of way indication to be transferred from a highway to a cross street for a predetermined period of time and to provide a second vehicle actuated means which will cause a retransfer of the right of way indication to the highway before the lapse of the predetermined period of time controlled by the actuation of the first vehicle actuated means. A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle actuated means which will transfer a right of way indication to a cross street for a period of time sufficient to permit a slow moving vehicle to clear the intersection and to provide a second vehicle actuated means, adjacent the intersection which will terminate the right of way indication on the cross street before the completion of the period inaugurated by the first vehicle actuated means.

Other objects and advantages of the inven- 7 tion will be pointed out and will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed. 7

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all, the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the intersection of a' highway and a cross street showing a signalling device located therein, and showing the position of the vehicle actuated means with respect to the intersection.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the operat- 35 ing and control mechanism in accordance with my invention.

General arrangement and location of detectors A signal device S is located in any desirable 90 position to display right of way signals to vehicles approaching on the highway and the cross street. As shown in Figure 1, the signal device S is located at the center of the intersection. Vehicle actuated means are located in the cross 5 street in the lane of the traflic approaching the intersection, which will ordinarily be on the right side of, the street, the vehicle actuated means may be of any type, but are preferably made up of two detectors D and D one of which is spaced 1 a considerable distance from the intersection, and the other of which is located adjacent the intersection. In Figure 1, the detector D'is shown asburied in the street a considerable distance from the intersection. The second detector D is buried 5 in the street close to the intersection. Other locations of the detectors may be used as willbe readily understood from the following descrip--, tion.

The detectors D and D may be of any style such as shown in the patent to Nelson, No. 1,665,560 issued April 10, 1928, or any such devices now used in vehicle actuated systems, which devices are actuated by vehicular traflic. Such devices however are preferably arranged, as here shown, so that they are normally closed to normally energize the relays D, D

The purpose of locating the detector D some distance from the intersection is to permit time for the display of a highway amber signal and following highway stop signal, so that the cross street go signal indication will be displayed before the vehicle reaches the intersection. Such an arrangement permits the vehicle to cross the intersection without loss of time due to stopping or slowing down.

The detector D is located close to the intersection and causes the right of way signal to be restored to the highway after just enough time has elapsed to permit the vehicle to cross the intersection. This arrangement-avoids unnecessary delay to the highway traffic due to extension of the right of way indication on the cross street if it is no.1onger necessary.

If a vehicle crosses the detector D and then turns into a driveway orparks, the right of way indication on the cross street will only persist for a predetermined period of time and will then be restored to the highway.

The operation of the signal changing means in accordance with the actuation of the detectors above described will be readily understood from the description which follows.

Actuation of the first detector The effect of the actuation of the first vehicle actuated means or detector D is to cause an armature 10 to drop from the full line position shown in Figure 2 into the dotted line position. The armature 10 is shown as normally held in the raised, or full line, position, by a relay 11.

The armature 10 is made up of a main body portion and a short extension 12 which is insulated, from the main body portion. When the armature is in its normal raised position the extension 12 closes a circuit between contact points 13 and 14. The armature drops into the dotted line position which contacts with a contact point 15 which is connected at all times with a suitable source of current.

The armature 10 is connected in series with a stick relay 16, a second stick relay 1'7, and a motor coil 18, the other side of the motor coil being grounded.

The stick relay 16 is provided with an armature 20, connected by a suitable conductor 21 with an adjustable brush 22 which contacts with a commutator designated generally as 25.

The stick relay 1'7 is provided with an armature 26 which is connected by a suitable conductor 2'7 with a brush 28 which contacts with the commutator 25.

The commutator 25 is rigidly mounted on a drive shaft 26 which is driven by a motor 2'7.

A brush 29 mounted on the shaft 26 operates over a commutator 30 to supply power to operate the signals in the signal device S. This signal device is of the conventional type and contains go, caution, and stop signals for the highway and go, caution, and stop signals for the cross street. Suitable conductors from each segment of the commutator 30 to the corresponding signal light in the signal device S are shown in Figure 2, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Upon actuation of the detector D the armature 10 will move into dotted line position shown in Figure 2 to complete a circuit from the contact point 15 through the armature 10, stick relay 16, stick relay 1'7, and motor coil 18, to the ground. The motor 2'7 will revolve in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow, thus turning the shaft 26. The commutator 25 will turn and bring a long conductor segment 35 under the brush 28. The stick relays 16 and 1'7 being energized will draw their respective armatures 20 and 26 into contact with their respective contact points 3'! and 38. When the armature 20 makes contact with the contact point 3'7, a circuit is completed from the long conductor segment 35, which is hot at all times, through the brush 22, conductor 21, armature 20, contact point 37, stick relay 16, stick relay 1'7, and motor coil 18 to the ground.

When the long conductor segment 35 makes contact with the brush 28, a parallel circuit is established from the long conductor segment 35 through the brush 28, conductor 2'7, armature 26, contact point 38, stick relay 1'7, and motor coil 18, to the ground.

1 After the vehicle has passed over the detector D, the armature 10 will be restored to its normal full line position but the motor will continue to operate due to the power supplied to the motor coil 18 through the stick relays 16 and 1'7 as just described.

The motor 2'7 will continue to run and the shaft 26 will turn the brush 29 to change the signal indications to caution and then to the highway stop and cross street go indications.

When the commutator 25 has turned far enough so that the end of the long conductor segment passes beyond the brush 22, the supply of power to the brush 22 will be momentarily interrupted thus breaking the circuit to the stick relay 16. A spring 40, or other suitable means, will cause the armature 20 to be drawn out of engagement with the contact point 3'7 so that the circuit through the stick relay 16 will remain broken after the beginning of the long conductor segment 35 makes contact with the brush 22.

The motor will continue to run on the power supplied from the brush 28 through the stick relay 1'7, and the shaft 26 will turn the brush 29 to again change the signal indications to caution.

Actuation of the second detector If a vehicle after actuating the first detector continues to travel until it reaches the second detector, an armature 50 will be moved from the full line position to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. The armature 50 is shown as held in its normal full line position by relay 51, though any other suitable means may be provided. When the armature 50 is caused to drop into the dotted Further movement 5f the brush 29 will restore the I signals totheiroriginal condition displaying the line position,it contacts with a contact point 53. 2.30

A conductor 54 connects the armature 50 with the brush 28.

If the commutator 25 is in position so that the brush 28 is making contact with the long conductor segment 35, power will be supplied from this long conductor segment 35 through the conductor 54, to the armature 50. If the armature 50 is in its lowered position in contact with the contact point 53 a circuit is established from the armature 50, through the contact point 53, stick relay 55, conductor 56 and motor coil 58, to the ground.

Themotor coil58 is so wound, or so disposed, with relation to the motor, that power supplied to this motor coil 58 will cause the motor 27 to rotate at a high speed relative to its speed of rotation when operated by the motor coil 18.

A brush 60 is mounted so as to contact with a short conductor segment 61 of the commutator 25.

The brush 60 is connected by a suitable conductor 62 with the contact point 13. The contact point 14 is connected by a suitable conductor 65 with an armature 66 of the stick relay 55.

If the commutator 25 is in position so that theshort conductor segment 61 makes contact with the brush 60, a parallel circuit is established from the short conductor segment 61, through the brush 60, conductor 62, contact point 13, extension 12 of the armature 10, contact point 14, conductor 65, armature 66, stick relay 55, conductor 56, and motor coil 58, to the ground. This circuit will cause the stick relay 55 to stick after a vehicle has passed over the detector D and the armature 50 has moved into its normal full line position, out of contact with the contact point 53.

The motor 27 will operate at fast speed until the end of the short conductor segment 61 passes under the brush 60. When this occurs the brush 60 will again travel on the insulated portion of the commutator 25 and the supply of power to the motor coil 58 will be discontinued. This change from fast to slow speed of the motor 27 will occur preferably just before the change in the signal indications from cross street go and highway stop, to cross street amber and highway amber.

The motor will operate at slow speed to turn the shaft 26 and brush 29 to cause the display of the cross street and highway amber signals followed by a cross street stop signal and highway go signal. With the signals thus restored to their normal condition, the motor 27 will continue to run until the insulated section of the commutator 25 comes under the brush 28. The mechanism will then stop with the parts in the positions shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

Time extension ture 10 will drop and the circuit between the contact points 13 and 14 through the armature extension 12 will be broken. The breaking of this circuit will cause the supply of power to the motor coil 58 to be discontinued and the motor will operate under influence of the coil 18 only. This break in the circuit will cause the stick relay 55 to break so that when the armature 10 again rises to its normal position with the extension 12 contacting with the contact points 13 and 14, the circuit to the motor coil 58 will not be restored.

The operating mechanism will therefore operate at slow speed thus extending the length of time that the go signal indication is displayed to the cross street. Operation of the detector D by the second vehicle will restore the circuit to the motor coil 58 to again cause fast operation of the signal change means.

Memory feature If a vehicle approaches on the cross street during a cycle of operation, but after the display of the cross street go signal, means are provided by which the operating mechanism will continue to operate through a second cycle thus affording a cross street go period for this late approaching vehicle. The stick relay 16 and its armature 20 and the brush 22, are provided to obtain this memory feature of the apparatus. The relay 16 will stick when the cycle of operation of the mechanism is first begun as previously described. Near the end of the cross street go period however, the insulated segment of the commutator 25 will pass under the brush 22 and the stick relay 16 will break. A vehicle actuating the detector D after this relay 16 has broken will cause the relay to again stick. and the circuit through this relay 16 will cause the motor 27 to continue to operate through another cycle instead of stop ping when the insulated segment of the commutator 25 comes under the brush 28.

While I have illustrated my invention in its preferred embodiment, various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A traffic signalling device for directing trafflce at the intersection of a highway and across street including in combination signals for indieating right of way; a pair of vehicle actuated means located in the cross street; cycle timer means for controlling the signals and initiated upon actuation of the first vehicle actuated means on a cycle of definite predetermined maximum duration to shift the right of way indication from the highway to the cross street and back to the highway; and operable upon subsequent actuations of the second and first vehicle actuated means to successively decrease and increase respectively the duration of the cycle within said definite predetermined maximum duration of the cycle.

2. A traffic signalling device for directing traffic at the intersection of a highway and a cross street including in combination signals for indicating right of way, vehicle actuated means located in the cross street, cycle timer means for controlling the signals and operable, upon a single actuation of the vehicle actuated means, through a cycle of definite predetermined maximum duration to shift the right of way indication from the highway to the cross street and back to the highway and operable upon a subsequent actuation by the same vehicle to shorten said maximum duration of the cycle, and upon actuation of the vehicle actuated means by the succeeding vehicles to extend said shortened duration of the cycle within said maximum duration of the cycle.

3. A traffic signalling device for directing trafi fic at the intersection of a highway and a cross. street including in combination signals for indicating right of way, a first and a second vehicle actuated means located in spaced apart relationship in the cross street in the lanes of trafactuated means to accelerate said timer and means cooperable upon succeeding actuations of the first and second vehicle actuated means during display of the right of way to the cross street to operate the motor at its initial and accelerated speeds respectively during said definite predetermined maximum duration of the cycle.

CARL H. BISSELL. 

